Meet the Directors

Jess Henry

Director

  • Jess comes from a background of rural farm work with a focus on horses, pastured poultry & bio-dynamic farming. Jess rolled up the sod on the lawns of George Pearson Centre in 2009 alongside Jen & Karen. A country girl at heart, Farmers on 57th has been an oasis of sanity, connection to the soil, and meaningful community engagement in the midst of a busy life in the city. Alongside flowers and vegetables she has raised 2 children in the market garden & is driven to help extend that opportunity to other people looking to connect with their food source, the soil, their community, and the birds, bugs, and bees that share the garden with us.

Karen Ageson

Director

  • Karen has worked to build Farmers on 57th since 2009. She is a white settler privileged by colonization in the Territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and sel̓íl̓witulh Nations where she grew up and raises two children. Learning from soil, plants and community, and facilitating opportunities for every urbanite to do the same drives Karen’s work. She has a BA in Environmental Studies, a MSc in Agricultural Economics, is a Professional Agrologist and completed the Organic Master Gardener Course with Gaia College. Karen worked internationally advocating for organic agriculture and co-founded the Vancouver Urban Farming Society in 2013 to work towards enabling urban agriculture policy.

Jen Rashleigh

Director

  • Jen grew up in her mother’s garden and realized that gardening was in her blood when she moved into a bachelor apartment with no room to grow. She began a guerilla garden between two parking lots for her own private pleasure, but soon learned the unbelievable power of gardening for community as everyone leaned over the fence to shares stories. When she worked with the Nation of Gitxaala to start their own gardens and witnessed the community satisfaction and empowerment (and giant cabbages!) she was officially hooked. She got the idea for a community farm while biking past Pearson (her mom worked there as a physio for 20 years). With the support and vision of the Disability Alliance of BC, Farmers on 57th took form in 2009. Jen trained with Ann Kent in Horticultural Therapy and joined the Canadian and American Horticultural Therapy Associations. Jen sees food growing as a means to build community resilience, sharing and joy. Jen is mother to Owen, farm baby #3 (there are 6). When she isn’t food growing or parenting, she’s making documentary films, tap dancing, or singing.

Sarah Wenman

Executive Director

  • Sarah helped create Farmers on 57th as part of her work with CARMA advocating for a home-like environment for people with disabilities in residential care. Driving her community building projects is the understanding that sharing locally grown food is pivotal to healthy communities and individuals. Sarah’s passion for growing, preserving and eating locally grown food started early when her dad taught her how to wipe the soil off a freshly harvested carrot and eat it. She’s always found a place to plant seeds. Sarah is dedicated to enabling access to green spaces and local food for everyone, no matter a person’s income or ability level. She sees how spending time in a thriving green space brings contentment and joy across varied populations. She knows sharing the harvest around a big table anchors a community and contributing to that meal creates a sense of pride. Sarah writes about and photographs her adventures, enjoying time (and food) with her friends and family in Vancouver.

Meet the Farm Team

Although you may see the faces of our field staff below, the farm operation is and has been really run by a community of passionate volunteers who contribute their time, energy, and passion who believe in what we are doing. They cultivate not only the soil but also a sense of belonging and purpose within the community. Each volunteer that has come through the farm has in some way shaped the essence of our mission and sustainability, and we are forever grateful.

Britt So (she/her)

Farm Manager

  • Britt enjoys being close to the soil and community. Britt is excited to serve the neighbourhood, and grow in knowledge and relationships with and through the crew at Farmers on 57th this season.

Field Lead

Market Coordinator

Leaa Both (they/she)

  • Leaa is excited to be back for a fourth year with Farmers on 57th! The farm has been a balm to the chaos of also working in the public school system. Leaa centers education and gratitude in their approach to learning with her weekly group of volunteers and relationships with CSA members. Please say hi if you see Leaa puttering around our farm!

Farmer Florist

Eva Horlitz

  • Eva has been growing with Farmers since the early days! She's had many roles and is currently the lead on the flower fields of Farmers on 57th. One of our perennial elders, Eva's skills and understanding of plants result in show stopping array blooms.

Grow Your Own Food Course Instructor

Growing Eden Program Lead

Alyssa Dawn (she/her)

  • Gardening as nature intended, Alyssa Dawn is creative in her approach to urban environments

    as the proprietor of True Blue GardenScapes. Guided by principles of local knowledge holders,

    ecology and therapeutic horticulture, Alyssa nurtures clients through the process of creating

    their outdoor space as a lifelong goal to grow the connections with people and plants in a

    beneficial manner to health and well-being.

    Empowering others through education with a commitment to resilient food secure

    communities, Alyssa Dawn supports the engagement of hands-on and virtual opportunities to

    develop the knowledge and skills for people to grow, care for and harvest their own food with

    confidence.

    Growing with Farmers on 57 th since it was a young sprout in 2009, a community of supportive

    leaders in urban agriculture, Alyssa Dawn herself was born & raised in the forests and

    shorelines of the Pacific North West. Let’s grow!

Sofia Fernandez (she/her)

Program Coordinator // Field Lead

  • Growing up, Sofia always loved looking at Biology textbooks, especially the plant illustrations. That curiosity eventually led her to study Applied Biology at UBC, specializing in sustainable agriculture. Now, she’s part of the Farmers on 57th team, where she gets to see what she's learned in school into action!

    Outside of work, you'll find Sofia exploring thrift stores, hunting for cool clothes and home decor. She also enjoys scrapbooking at local cafes. Oh, and she has a small jewelry business called @SagradaMycelia, where she makes earrings inspired by nature.

    Sofia is excited to connect with all the lovely people involved in this project!